Deanston 17 Years Old (53.6%)

An official release of Deanston, a 17 year old, at 53.6%, 7000 bottles in all. Deanston is a Highland single malt, unchillfiltered and made from Scottish barley near Stirling. Its wash is fermented long, for a fruity, estery character.

Distilled slowly for a clean, fruity spirit, building the honeyed Deanston style. Ex-Bourbon casks held it, the gentle American oak letting the waxy malt lead. Through oxidative maturity esters concentrate, apple and pear turning honeyed over the waxy body. Maturing in the vaulted stone warehouse, the spirit develops slow and steady. Its flagship is the 12 year old, bottled unchillfiltered at 46.3%. Active wood frames the fruit without overwhelming the soft Highland spirit. The clean, fruity spirit shows the cask clearly, vanilla and honey to the fore. The waxy texture is the Deanston signature, carried through the years in cask.

Bottled at a cask strength 53.6%, it is rich. A waxy, malty sweetness, with a soft vanilla from the oak. Soft orchard fruit and honey sit behind the cask. The close is waxy and warming, fruit over a gentle oak. This is a green, honeyed Highland malt with a waxy heart.